UN Chief António Guterres Urges Support for UNRWA for Peace and Stability

The Crucial Role of UNRWA

• 🌍 UNRWA provides essential services like education and healthcare to generations of Palestine refugees.
• 📚 Before October 2023, it schooled half a million children and currently delivers emergency food and cash assistance to 2.6 million people.
• 🏥 Its primary clinics see 10.5 million visits annually, highlighting its extensive reach.
• 🤝 UNRWA is recognized as a force for stability in a volatile region, supporting governance, ceasefire efforts, and regional peace.

Challenges and Constraints Facing UNRWA

• ⚠️ The agency operates under extreme and rising pressure, with staff being killed and premises destroyed in Gaza.
• 📉 UNRWA faces significant budget shortfalls and a constant barrage of disinformation.
• 🚨 A strategic assessment concluded that the current status quo is untenable due to severe constraints.

Call for Urgent Support and Funding

• 📢 Member States are urged to take immediate action to address the deteriorating conditions.
• 🗣️ Political support and countering disinformation are vital to protect UNRWA's role as a lifeline for refugees.
• 💰 Ensuring UNRWA has urgent, full, and predictable funding is critical for it to carry out its mandate.

The Importance of a Two-State Solution and UNRWA's Role

• 🕊️ While global support for a two-state solution is strong, realities on the ground remain bleak.
• ⏳ Until a political solution is achieved, UNRWA is crucial for steering towards the best possible outcomes and avoiding the worst.

Tribute to UNRWA Staff in Gaza

• 🙏 The Secretary-General expressed deep admiration and gratitude for UNRWA staff in Gaza.
• 💔 Over 370 colleagues have been killed, enduring unimaginable loss, yet they persevere with courage and selflessness.
• ✨ Their dedication to serving the people of Gaza inspires the world, and their heroism will not be forgotten.